Tag: lungs

Poem 20151217

crow3 Comments

the secret to breathing properly

is to imagine the lungs
expanding beyond capacity
as they fill with air

as they fill with the air
breathed out
by people you know–
the ones you work with
the ones you live with
the ones you love
the ones you hate

and those you don’t know–
the dead who breathed these same atoms
years-decades-centuries-millennia ago

fill your lungs with the air
that the dinosaurs sucked in
when the comet hurtled toward them
they all breathed out at once
a world-wide gasp

fill your lungs
and don’t let it out
let it stay inside of you
and become like smoke
in your alveoli
and only let it seep out
through your pores

Poem 20150310

crow

i fell through darkness into
deeper darkness
striking the earth with my back
splitting the ground
and splitting my bones
the darkness covered me
my breathing grew ragged
and my pulse faint
until the angels came
they breathed into my mouth
and my lungs filled with fire
they poured water over my wounds
and the black charred husk
washed away from my skin
and i could see the stars
turning and singing
and was happy for the darkness

Poem 20150213

crow

break all the hearts
snap them until your hands
are caked with candy dust
and the food safe inks
coat your fingers like
blood
dig out the cherry centers
of all the chocolates
evacuate the liqueur
and save it to burn in lamps
made of human flesh
and human bone
call upon st. valentine
to strike with his crozier
to break open every heaving chest
expose every swiftly beating heart
like a surgeon intent
on eradicating some diseased
greasy, necrotized mass of tissue
so the lungs can finally fill with air